Should he relearn, refocus his mind and body to that of the Shaded Blade, learn new arts and discipline so such a event would not occur again or should he devote himself to a different way so he could protect his ward without the trappings of his code.

He imagined himself fighting without a blade...The way of the outcaste monks, those known as Absent Blades...Shaded blades bore similarities to them in forms...and Genji was skilled at hand to hand combat...it was actually quite fun for him...but that would mean giving away his blade. His family sword...he loved the sword greatly. Carrying it alone symbolized his father's spirit and ways...he couldnt give it up, could he?

He though of himself in armour...His father had fought like this, a powerful and feared soldier to the Lord of Kousen...might was needed by this path, the way of the Saburau, the Furious Blade...but Genji had bee taught to use his natural agility and speed. His weakness of lungs had forced his father to train him in the way of the Musha, the Shaded Blade over the way of the Saburau...Could Genji overcome this now, when his life span was uncertain anyway?

He thought of himself as a silent killer, his face masked...This was disturbingly tempting...this way required the sword or daggers, relying upon agility, speed and deception...he could imagine himself, clad in the masking clothes of the Ninja, the Silent Blades...it was tempting, as the power that came with it was shrouded in mystery and a mild form of fear...But it would take years of training to learn these mysterious ways, surely? And Genji had been taught to be close to the way of his father, an honest, open man...could he really forsake that now...?

Genji thought back to what he was...The Shaded Blade, perfect warriors and body-guards, masters of the sword and martial ways...trained to move quickly and deftly, they wielded the blade like few others...and tey were much like the Saburau, but differed focusing not on armour but the sword...This was what Genji had been...

In turn, he thought of the ways he could best protect and serve Miyra.As the outcaste monk warrior, could he not heal her? This was something they were skilled at...this would be useful...As the armoured warrior, he could stand against many enemies, take the blows better for her, fight longer and harder...this too would be helpful...As the silent assassin...could he simply kill those who challenged her before they even struck? Would this avoid danger, by making sure it never occured?And as the Musha, the Shaded blade...he had been doing ok, he thought...until now, naturally...but there had been times when Miyra had fallen...but then, Genji was but one man...he could not stop everything...but still, as a Shaded Blade, he felt that he had done alright...he could do SO MUCH better...but it had been alright...

He then thought of his ravaged homeland...As the outcaste...certainly, his people were in need of a healing hand...so many injured that he could not save...As the warrior...these soldiers were needed, surely. The Saburau were mighty and fought well and long, one of these could be very useful in destroying Daigotsu's armies...As the ninja, the silent blade...could one of these men, alone, kill the forces of Daigotsu? it was possible...not much was known of them and surely they could infiltrate, assasinate and maybe even outmatch Daigotsu...maybe...As the Musha...the emperors words haunted him till now, that they ahd failed the Lord Emperor and now he wondered if this was because he had not taken another path? But what could he have done in any form or guise? He doubted very much, with a heavy heart, that anyone could have truly saved the Emeperor that day...there had been others there that had been unable to prevent it, after all...

As Genji's mind has been in turmoil since his return to life, so too has Mirya's.

Fear, shame, and anger still swirl in her head, but one thought has sustained her; there were people who cared about her, truly cared and believed that she was worth something, that her life meant something. There were people who would not scorn her for the colour of her hair, for her magical powers, or for being born a female.

It was unfortunate that Kel-sama, Daimyo of the tribe that her birth parents had belonged to, needed to hurry away on an important mission of her own within a day of their arrival in Ingolé, the city of magic. Mirya hopes that soon the Daimyo would return. She knows now that among this new tribe, the Telerfret, almost everyone has magical talent, but she feels shy of simply introducing herself to all of these strangers.

Doki-Rinsei, whose current wielder was named Gii and was a priest of a deity he called Lenamo, has also gone. Mirya knows she owes her life to Doki and to those of his wielders she had known, but not just for the destruction of many demons that would have torn her asunder or destroyed her with fire. Gii/Doki had saved her life because they had wanted her to live. Faced with the contempt of the man who had represented all she had been raised to believe was to be honoured she had almost despaired. Kneeling before the Emperor's spirit, she had wept over the spirit of Genji, who had obeyed the leader of his homeland, even to death at his own hands.

Thinking back on the moment, anger stirs within Mirya again. She knew the Emperor had the right to demand the death of one he believed had failed him, but her heart told her that what Genji had been ordered to do was wrong. The Emperor didn't know Genji, but she did, and she had been there with him as they had desperately fought to save the Emperor and his city. She KNEW Genji had done all that he could, that he could not have given more, or done more. She knew that his loyalty had always been true, she knew how it must have pained him to be berated by the Emperor's angry spirit, yet he had followed the orders, had done what he felt honour demanded.

Mirya though, could not believe that the Emperor's demand had been justified. She knew full well that some would say that it could not be otherwise, that she dishonoured herself by even thinking that he could be wrong, that he could be - unjust. She had searched her heart many times however and could not escape that conclusion. The spirit of the emperor, perhaps tormented by his horrible death, had needed retribution. He had lashed out at those who had done all they could, because he had believed someone should be punished, and they had been the obvious targets. To her though it showed clearly that for all his power and might, for all that Emperors were supposed to be ordained by the divine, they were just people. The now-dead Emperor had been a man whose anger at his own death had led him to demand the death of those who had striven to save him. She could understand the pain he had suffered but she could never forgive him for what he had done to Genji

There had been too much pain, too much wrong, for her to ever love the Empire again, to ever feel loyalty or devotion towards those who ruled, in a place where obedience mattered more than what was right.

Mirya knows that she will have to return to Serke Kemi, but she dreads the prospect. Duty still calls her. It is not duty towards the Empire, not even duty to the people, most of whom had scorned her from the beginning, another injustice she knew would not change. The people of Serke Kemi would never accept her for all that she was; there was too much about her that was different, and no one but Kanji's family and Genji had ever been willing or able to look past the Foreign-born Wu-jen female and see the person inside. Hostility was everywhere and tolerance in short supply. She sighs, wishing that people's fear didn't have to make them so unkind.

No, if she fights, it will be for Kaede and Aimi, who raised and loved her. It will be for Kanji, the man who had valued her for what she was, not in spite of it. Most of all though, it will be for Genji. He cannot let the Empire fall to the demons, she knows, and she will not abandon him. She has too much respect for Genji's loyalty, despite her belief that such loyalty is not deserved by those to whom it is given.

Her thoughts turn back to those who saved her. Doki was the Blade of the Celestial Emperor and he hadn't expected her to die; he had been willing to assist her, had she been determined, but he had not told her she should obey the Emperor. Meeting the Dragon of Life and Death had been a revelation; he had not berated or shamed her, and though she had thought her impassioned speech would leave him unmoved, he had sent her back into life. Mirya had always believed that the divine were cruel and uncaring, but first Doki, and then Pan Lung himself helped her to live again. It had not been from compassion it seemed, so perhaps from belief that her life had worth. Where the Emperor had wanted her to die for him, they wanted her to live. Part of her wonders at the difference, another part hopes that the next Emperor will be driven by compassion and wisdom as well as honour. The rest decides that her life has been given back to her for a reason. Now she needs to convince Genji that his was too.

A little while later, after word that a strange monkey was looking for the haran spread through the streets, as gossip is wont to, Kel is bustled up to Monkay by a proud-looking citizen.

Keladry 'Kel' Wright - Telerfret high mage, Principal and Professor of Water at the Arcane University, High Priest of YashmanarGizmo - Light Elf Sorc/crafter, Captain of the Nomads, friend to rocksCinder - Efreet scout, High Priest of Eternity

Right, well I'm here, and if you give me a minute I'll find out where the others are.

Kel walks a little bit away and begins to amble aimlessly, mumbling to herself and occasionally looking around as though expecting to see someone over her shoulder. She goes through this strange process 3 times before returning to Monkay.

(OOC: Knowledge, cast once for each person)

I've asked my god to give me the information you seek, I'm sure he'll get back to me soon and I'll let you know what he says.

Keladry 'Kel' Wright - Telerfret high mage, Principal and Professor of Water at the Arcane University, High Priest of YashmanarGizmo - Light Elf Sorc/crafter, Captain of the Nomads, friend to rocksCinder - Efreet scout, High Priest of Eternity

Warryn's in Varya - come back and I'll let you know where the others are.

Keladry 'Kel' Wright - Telerfret high mage, Principal and Professor of Water at the Arcane University, High Priest of YashmanarGizmo - Light Elf Sorc/crafter, Captain of the Nomads, friend to rocksCinder - Efreet scout, High Priest of Eternity

Keladry 'Kel' Wright - Telerfret high mage, Principal and Professor of Water at the Arcane University, High Priest of YashmanarGizmo - Light Elf Sorc/crafter, Captain of the Nomads, friend to rocksCinder - Efreet scout, High Priest of Eternity